The ego is fragile.
It wants to be coddled. It gets in the way of the important work our souls are here to do.
Nevertheless, we live in a world where we need to respect both the egos and souls of people in our lives.
More to the point, we need to respect where people are in their own personal journies. Some people need more soul food, and some people need to do more to care for their egos.
And that’s OK. We can offer advice, but we really can’t walk in another person’s shoes. We need to be OK with where they happen to be in the moment.
According to some guy named Mike Oppland, the ego has the following needs.
- The need to control
- The need to be right
- The need for attention (Recognition)
- The need for acceptance from others
- The need to ruminate on the past or future
I have no idea if most psychologists would agree with this list. To be honest, I’m more familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Nevertheless, I do feel that Mike Oppland’s list says more about our egos than our souls.
The ego wants to be respected.
What do our souls need?
I don’t think there’s any definitive consensus on the question. My feeling is that our souls know what is good for us. If we can learn to listen, our souls can reveal themes in our lives that can lead to significant actions.
But what do I know? My ego craves respect just like any other ego.
And I’m not always so good at listening to my soul.
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